The Saudi Land Bridge Company will take over as the client on the project from the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO), once the winning consortium to develop the rail link is named later this year.

The SRO staff who had been working on the landbridge project will join the new company.

Riyadh has set up the new company to lead the project as a result of a conflict of interest arising from the SRO's position as both client and the owner of an existing stretch of track between Riyadh and Dammam (MEED 2:11:07).

The Tarabot Consortium, led by Arabian Company for Power and Water Development, has been named as preferred bidder for the project, which will link Jeddah on the west coast with Dammam to the east, via Riyadh (MEED 7:3:08).